Brownies & BlogHer and Such - Oh My!

The faint sound of tap-dancing you might be hearing right now is just me, giddy with excitement over my week of vacation!!! Squeeee!! I may not be jetting off to anywhere exciting, but 9 days away from my cubicle is luxurious enough for me. I am planning on enjoying the fall sunshine, catching up with my writing and reading, hanging out with friends and familia, taking a hiking excursion to Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire with Papa G . . . and doing some cooking. Some non-microwave cooking. That's right folks -- the era of Nutrisystem is over!!

Now, I must give credit where credit is due. I think the two months of wacky diet meals did help me reset my culinary clock and help me see the light in terms of eating well-balanced and portion controlled meals. Over all, I've shed about 5 pounds, which is probably only noticeable to moi . . . but my goal wasn't to become an effing supermodel, so whatevs. Mama G, I'm very proud to say, has lost over 20 pounds -- and is still going strong!! Can we get a round of applause? I am so proud and so happy for her -- and I can tell that she is feeling happier and more positive about her goals! I am obviously still gonna be her #1 cheerleader, but right now my goal is slightly different. I'm dedicating myself to developing a long-term healthy lifestyle through awareness, rather than restriction. That means trusting my food judgment, being aware of where my food comes from, listening to my body to determine when I am hungry and when I am full, and taking the time to enjoy good food and good meals as a genuine experience. Deep, I know.

So my first day of Freedom Eating started when Chelsee brought me this amazing homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Brownie!



If a pumpkin pie and a chocolate cake made a baby, this would be their delicious offspring!! For the recipe, check out We Are Not Martha -- Chelsee and Susie's super-cool lifestyle blog. They are translating Martha Stewart's over-the-top perfection into something any 20-something with a stove can achieve -- high five, ladies! :)

Watching the blogging success of the Martha girls was part of what inspired me to start this blog -- so when Chelsee told me that they were going to be attending the BlogHer Conference in Boston , I decided to tag along and get some serious blog schoolin'. I wasn't really sure what to expect, having never attended a "conference" of any kind. The day turned out to be super inspirational, and I am psyched about rededicating myself to growing this blog and chronicling my new journey. I also met a ton of cool people and learned a crapload about networking, blogging basics, and food photography 101. Yes, I have officially drank the Kool-Aid of the BlogCult, people -- so be on the lookout for new developments around here in the future!